MPR defends special decree on economic recovery<\/p>\n
Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Responding to the criticism of economists, members of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) said on Wednesday a special
\ndecree on economic recovery provided sufficient guidelines for
\nthe government to accelerate the recovery process.<\/p>\n
\"The decree contains recommendations about what the government
\nshould do in specific areas of economic recovery, such as foreign
\ndebt and privatization,\" Potsdam Hutasoit, the deputy chairman of
\nthe Assembly's second ad hoc committee for the drafting of MPR
\ndecrees, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He reasoned that recommendations in the decree should not be
\ntoo specific because important steps in the economic recovery had
\nalready been established in the 1999\/2004 State Policy
\nGuidelines.<\/p>\n
\"(I)n the decree, we are just highlighting several things that
\nthe government must do,\" Potsdam, who is from the largest faction
\nin the MPR, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) faction, added.<\/p>\n
Discussion of the special decree on economic recovery will be
\none of the focuses of the Assembly's Annual Session, which will
\ntake place from Aug. 1 through Aug. 10.<\/p>\n
The decree is meant to be a blueprint of comprehensive
\neconomic guidelines for economy recovery.<\/p>\n
Economists, however, have criticized the draft as being \"too
\ngeneral and lacking in clear-cut guidelines\", which they say
\ncould lead to misinterpretation and abuse by vested political
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
Potsdam argued that the decree was simplified with a view
\ntoward the fourth amendment of the 1945 Constitution, which, if
\npassed, would mean the MPR would no longer be the state's highest
\nlawmaking body.<\/p>\n
\"If that happens, then the MPR will not have the right to make
\ndecrees ... so, eventually, the decree (on economic recovery)
\nwould be annulled,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Assembly rejected the draft decree when it was first
\nproposed at the 2001 Annual Assembly, saying passing such a
\ndecree on economic recovery was not an urgency.<\/p>\n
But the MPR later issued a decree assigning an Assembly
\nworking committee to study the draft, which was proposed by a
\ngroup of economists from the New Indonesian Alliance, led by
\nnoted economist Sjahrir.<\/p>\n
Potsdam said the decision to continue discussion of the decree
\nwas made at the suggestion of some members of the working
\ncommittee, who supported its passage.<\/p>\n
However, he did not give details on which factions on the
\ncommittee supported or opposed the decree.<\/p>\n
After a year of study, the MPR finalized the draft decree,
\nwhich has five policy principles, ranging from improvement in the
\ncoordination between related state institutions to improving the
\ninfrastructure of the domestic economy.<\/p>\n
It also has four policy recommendations, including pushing the
\ncountry's political rulers to prioritize economic recovery;
\nestablishing a clear-cut delegation of authority between the
\ngovernment, the House of Representatives and the central bank;
\nand pushing for immediate action from the President and state
\ninstitutions to accelerate economic recovery.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Sofjan Wanandi, the chairman of the National
\nEconomic Recovery Committee, joined in the chorus of criticism of
\nthe decree.<\/p>\n
From the point of view of the country's business community,
\nSofjan said the MPR decree was \"half-heartedly drafted\" and would
\nnot help further the country's economic recovery.<\/p>\n
He said the decree should contain clear measures that
\naddressed the issues, and specific targets to be achieved.<\/p>\n
\"With clear measures and specific targets, we could gather all
\nthe resources for economic recovery,\" he told the Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-defends-special-decree-on-economic-recovery-1447893297",
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